Imisioluwa Boladuro

Eng 21002

Interviewing: Fanta Camara and Osariemen Onaghinor 

Me:  Hi, What’s your name 

Fanta: Hello, My name is Fanta Camara

Osa: Hellooooooo,Osariemen Onaghinor 

Me: What’s your religion? 

Fanta: I’m Muslim. 

Osa: I’m Christian 

Me: What is the Meaning behind your name?

Fanta: My name comes from Fatima’s root name, the prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) daughter’s name.

Osa: My name is an Edo name that translates to God’s Gift / God gave me in the Edo language.

Me: Can you tell me about your Beliefs and how you practice them?

Fanta: I believe in one God and always choose peace. I practice praying five times daily to show God how thankful I am for him.

Osa: I believe in one God and follow the teachings, beliefs, and death of Jesus Christ. 

I was born into believing in religion. My mother’s side is Catholic, and my father is Christian. I don’t know how to properly practice any other religion besides the one taught/showcased and was predominantly in the same environment as me. When I was younger, Christianity wasn’t “forced” upon me, but I was always made aware of believing in God and that the blessing of life is because of him. 

Me: Being born into your religion has affected your mindset And how it shapes your everyday life

Fanta: Yes, it has, and it has shaped my everyday life by helping build my morals, improving me as a person, and teaching me how to be very patient and keep myself private.

Osa: Now that I’m older and because religion wasn’t a big emphasis to strictly follow in my household, my relationship with Christianity is distant. I have a much different mindset from when I was younger, and now I can direct my life. I would love to continue fixing my relationship with God and figuring out how to navigate life with religion as an influencer.

Me: yeah, you’ve always given off calm vibes since I met you. What are your favorite things about the Islamic religion and why?

Fanta: I know the answer, but I’m still looking for it, so I’m still trying to figure out how to respond to this question. I know how much faith means to me and how much it helps me, but I’m still trying to figure out what it is about, mainly because that makes me love it so much. But at the moment, the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid celebration would be my favorite things. I can truly appreciate the patience it has given me because, in life, patience is the key to success.

Osa: I appreciate the willingness to learn from specific people who share the same religion as myself. As mentioned, my relationship with Christianity and God has not been consistent and close. I appreciate that I am judged for wanting to continue learning and taking my time to figure out my path with faith and celebration of easter.

Me: Do you practice religion because it is what you were born into? Could you explain your answer why?

Fanta: Yes, I am practicing my religion, which I was born into, as it is also in my culture. Faith also made sense to me as it was part of my everyday life and helped shape me.

Osa: I was born into believing in religion. My mother’s side is Catholic, and my father is Christian. I don’t know how to properly practice any other religion besides the one taught/showcased and was predominantly in the same environment as me. When I was younger, Christianity wasn’t “forced” upon me, but I was always made aware of believing in God and that the blessing if life is because of him. 

Me: Would you practice a different religion other than what you practice? And could you state your reason? 

Fanta: I wouldn’t practice any other religions because I don’t know much of them to leave my current faith, and the more I get to know my present belief, the more I appreciate it, and the harder it gets for me to leave it

Osa: I’m not sure if I would practice another religion because I already grew up used to being exposed to one religion. I would acknowledge, learn, and, when necessary, partake in the practice of the beliefs of Islam due to my significant other being Muslim. Being with someone of another religion means I must learn to accept and respect their beliefs. It would also influence me to continue exploring my relationship with faith.

 Me:  This is great! Thank you so much for your time

Fanta: You’re welcome; you got this, imisi!!!

Essay On The Interview

In the Hoffman lounge at school, I conducted interviews with Osa and Fanta. Fanta was wearing a black abaya and a hijab, while Osa wore a green t-shirt, black ripped jeans, and braids in her hair. We sat at the corner table, started the interview by cracking jokes, and then got to business. First, I gave both people an explanation of why they were being interviewed for social science class in which we had to choose a field study that we were particularly interested in and learn more about it. Next, I inquired about the origins of all Two of their names. I asked Fanta about her Hijab because she was wearing one. She proudly responded, saying She wears the hijab because it represents her religion, and she refuses to let challenges inspire her to stop wearing it altogether. When asked about their beliefs and how their religion influenced and formed their thinking, they responded differently because they were raised in different faiths. Fanta said Eid celebrations mark the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast for 30 days as an act of worship to Allah. Osa said Easter celebrations mark the day Jesus rose from the dead in response to my question about what they liked best about their religion. I concluded by asking each person if they would prefer to practice a different religion they could. Fanta would prefer to stick to Islam because it is all she is familiar with and what she loves; she feels that learning about another religion would be stressful. However, Osa doesn’t mind because her significant other is Muslim, and she is willing to know about it. It is lovely that both are working to improve their faith and develop their relationships with God. They both had good things to say about their respective religions.